2013 Ford Escape engine problems
1,263 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2013 Ford Escape — 46% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SEL (1.6L EcoBoost) Approximate current Mileage: 134,646 miles System: Engine / Engine Cooling / Powertrain Incident Description: I am filing this complaint to report a severe and systemic safety defect regarding the 1.6L EcoBoost engine in my 2013 Ford Escape. The vehicle…”
filed Jul 17, 2026
“Engine coolant intrusion into engine resulting in excessive visible smoke/steam on startup and coolant consumption. This issue has been inspected by a Ford dealer and private party mechanics, however could not be accurately diagnosed without engine disassembly. No evidence of external coolant leaks…”
filed Jul 2, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Affected vehicles may experience localized overheating of the engine cylinder head which…Campaign 13V583000 · Nov 25, 2013
- Coolant system leaks may cause the engines to overheat and leak flammable engine fluidsCampaign 12V551000 · Dec 3, 2012
- Cylinder head cup plug (freeze plug) may become dislodged resulting in significant loss…Campaign 12V431000 · Sep 4, 2012
Engine problems in other Escape years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 5 | 24% |
| 2024 Escape | 13 | 17% |
| 2023 Escape | 28 | 30% |
| 2022 Escape | 32 | 14% |
| 2021 Escape | 40 | 12% |
| 2020 Escape | 112 | 7% |
| 2019 Escape | 299 | 52% |
| 2018 Escape | 1,116 | 64% |
| 2017 Escape | 1,543 | 58% |
| 2016 Escape | 195 | 18% |
| 2015 Escape | 236 | 22% |
| 2014 Escape | 719 | 35% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2013 Ford Escape
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.